WTC Updated Points Table: South Africa secure final spot; Assessing India and Australia's qualification chances

New Delhi: South Africa has become the first finalist of the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 cycle, securing the top spot after a victory over Pakistan in the opening match of their two-match Test series at SuperSport Park in Centurion. With a points percentage of 66.66%, South Africa is guaranteed a spot in the final even if they lose the second Test in Cape Town, as their points percentage will only decrease to 61.11%. This puts them ahead of Australia, India, and Sri Lanka in the race for the final. This will be South Africa's second appearance in an ICC tournament final, after their first in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup where they lost to India. The Proteas now await their opponents for the WTC final at Lord’s in June 2025.

South Africa are headed to Lord’s for the #WTC25 Final #SAvPAK ➡ https://t.co/vWLh4MSQjm pic.twitter.com/sZ5QBnDAYD

— ICC (@ICC) December 29, 2024

The Pakistan cricket team has added an exciting twist to the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 qualification race, securing a victory over South Africa in the first Test of their two-match series at SuperSport Park in Centurion by XX runs. This result caused South Africa to drop to second place in the WTC points table with 57.75 percentage points, while Australia reclaimed the top spot with 58.89 percentage points.

India, sitting in third place with 55.88 percentage points, has gained a significant boost in their pursuit of qualifying for a third consecutive WTC final.

ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 points table:

Qualification scenarios for India, Australia and Sri Lanka:

India’s qualification scenario:
After South Africa secured a spot in the ICC World Test Championship 2023-25 final, the qualification scenario for India has shifted slightly. India can still qualify directly by winning both of their remaining Tests against Australia in Perth and Sydney. However, if they win one and draw the other, they will require Sri Lanka to draw at least one of their two Tests against Australia to advance.

In the event that both India-Australia matches end in a draw, India will need Sri Lanka to win their series against Australia 1-0. Lastly, if India loses its series to Australia, it will be eliminated from the WTC final qualification race.

Australia’s qualification scenario:
If Australia wins the ongoing five-match series against India by 2-1 or 3-1, they will secure their spot in the WTC 2023-25 final. If the series ends in a 2-2 or 1-1 draw, Australia will need to win at least one match against Sri Lanka to qualify for the final.

Sri Lanka’s qualification scenario:
For Sri Lanka to secure qualification, the India vs Australia series must end in a 1-1 draw, followed by a 2-0 victory over Australia in their upcoming home series.